Creamy Stovetop Macaroni and Cheese

My kids are obsessed with macaroni and cheese and would pretty much eat it every day if they could. I feel A LOT less guilty about letting them have it when I make it from scratch over serving them the little blue box mix. The great thing about this recipe is that it’s super easy to make and it doesn’t really take any more time than making a prepackaged version. This mac n cheese is very creamy and flavorful and it even reheats well too. Just add a splash of milk to thin it out a little, microwave, and stir!

I like to use extra sharp cheddar cheese since it has a more distinct flavor however, feel free to change out the cheese to others such as American, Swiss, Asiago, etc. You can even use different cheese combinations, American and cheddar is a nice one to try. Make sure when you heat the milk you let it bubble and thicken. You will know the milk is thick enough when it can coat the back of a spoon easily. Rushing this step will result in a very wet, “soupy” mac n cheese which isn’t very appetizing.

Traditional mac n cheese recipes call for an elbow macaroni which is what I used but other pasta shapes also work well. I like gemelli and mezze penne in this recipe as well. If you use elbow macaroni, try the 3 minute versions they make, I use them all of the time and it really speeds up the process of making this dish. As is, this makes plenty of macaroni and cheese for a side dish but the recipe can be easily doubled to serve a crowd of hungry kiddies too!

Ingredients

8 oz elbow macaroni

1/4 c salted butter

1/4 c flour

1/4 tsp salt

pepper, to taste

2 cups of milk

8 oz grated cheese (cheddar, American or a blend)

Instructions

Cook the macaroni while preparing the cheese sauce.

Melt the butter over medium heat. Stir in the flour, salt, and pepper. Slowly add the milk and cook until bubbly and thick, stir frequently as it warms up.

Add in the grated cheese and stir until melted. Add the macaroni to the cheese sauce, stir to coat. Serve hot.

**TIP** – If the sauce seems to thin, stir in a little sprinkle of Wondra to thicken it up. Also, letting the mac n cheese sit for a few minutes before serving will also help to thicken the sauce.